Spring fastening for guard-rail clamps



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uu-june 10 1924.

C. BURTON SPRING FASTENING FOR GUARD RA IL CLAMPS Filed oct. 19. 1923 '2 sheerysheet 1 C. BURTON SPRING FASTENING FOR GUARD RAIL CLAMPS 1923 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 19.

C4550 Buero/5 ses:

Patented June l0, 1924.

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CARROLL BURTON, 0F J'OHNSTOVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING :FASTENING FOR GUARD-RAIL CLAMPS.

Application led October 19, 1923, vSerial No. 669,569.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARROLL BURTON, a citizen of the-United States, and resident of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State or' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Fastenings for Guard-Rail Clamps, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to guard rail clamps used for the purpose of clampin'g a guard rail to the adjacent track rail, and more parn ticularly to clamps of this class which are adjustable to different size rails and in which a wedge is used to draw the parts together.

One object of the present invention is to provide a clamp of the above class having means for locking the clamping wedge in position.

Another object is to provide a novel form of resilient pawl adapted to engage. and automatically lock the clamping wedge in its various adjusted positions.

A further object is to provide a guard rail clamp having the novel construction, design and combination of parts hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation showing' the clamp applied to a track rail and guard rail.

Figure 2 is atop plan of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of the clamping wedge showing the serrations.

Figure 4 is a plan of the spring or resilient pawl.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the clamping bar as a whole, which is provided with upturned or yoke shaped ends 3 and 4. The numerals 5 and 6 designate the track rail and guard rail, respectively, to which the clamp is applied.

The clamp bar 2 extends under the rails 5 and 6, and clamp chock 7 is positioned between the upturned end 3 of the bar 2 and the web of the guard rail 6. I A pair of wedge shaped adjustable filler blocks 8 and 9, having their abutting faces serrated so as to lock with each other, are positioned between the rails 5 and 6 and a clamping wedge 10 is positioned between the end 4 of the clamp bar and the web of the track rail 5.

The chock 7, liller blocks 8 and 9, and wedge 10 may be made in various sizes for use with various sizes of rails and the same clamp bar may be used with the various sizes of chocks,`iller blocks and wedges.

' The wedge 10 is provided with a straight rail engaging side 11 and an oblique clamp `bar engaging side 12 adapted to engage the face of the upturned end 4 of the clamp bar 2. 'The oblique face or side 12 of the wedge 1() is provided with a flange 14 along its lower edge, which extends into anundercut recess 15 in the bar 2, and said iange isl provided along its side face with a series of teeth or serrations 16.

A resilient pawl member composed of ay projecting the ends of the metal piecel beyond the-body 17 so as to :tormvpawl points or tongues 2O and 21, respectively, e2;- tending into the path of the wedge 10 and adapted to automatically enga-ge the teeth or serrations on the wedge. This novel awl construction not only provides a nove auniatically operating pawl, but provides a pawl structure which is self retaining on the clamping bar, is readily applied and removed, and provides a double engagement with the locking wedge.

ln operation when the wedge 10 is inserted between the upturned end 4 of the clamp bar 2 and the web of the rail 5, it will be forced past the .points 20 and 21 of "the pawl ends 18 and 19 and the pawl points will automatically engage in the teeth or serrations 16, thus locking the wedge l0 against reverse movement.

While l have described and illustrated only one specilic embodiment of my inven-k tion it will be readily understood that I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiment described and illustrated, since the novel features to which this application is directed may be combined with various other forms of rail clamps `and all of such combinations may be made without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

l. A rail clamp comprising in combination, a clamp bar having one end formed to engage a clamp chook positioned between the end or' the bar and a rail and having its other end formed to engage a clamping wedge, a wedge formed With a rail engaging side and an oblique clamp bar engaging side, and adapted to be positioned between a rail and the end of said clamp bar, said oblique side being provided with a series of serrations, and a double ended spring pawl mounted on said clamp bar and adapted to have both ends engaged in said serrations on said wedge to lock said wedge in position, Y

2. A rail clamp comprising in combina tion, a clamp bar having one end formed to engage a clamp chock positioned between the end of the bar and a rail, and having its other end formed to engage a clamping wedge, a wedge formed with a rail engaging side and an oblique clamp bar engaging side and adapted to be positioned between a raill and the end of said clamp bar, said oblique side being provided with a series oi' serrations, and a pawl mounted on said clamp bar and adapted to be engaged in said serrations to lock said Wedge in position, said pawl being formed from resilient metal and having a fiat portion engaging said clamp bar, and the ends of said pawl member' beingbent so as to tension against and engage in said serrations on said wedge.

3. ln a rail clamp includinga clamp bar and a wedge member having serrations along one edge, a resilient pawl for locking said wedge member in position, said pawl comprising Memes a channehshaped portion fitted over the end of said clamp bar, and said channel portion terminating at each end in a loop-like resilient pawl portion adapted to resiliently engage the seri-ations on said wedge.

e. ln a rail clamp including a clamp bar and a wedge member having serrations along one edge, a resilient'pawl i'or locking said wedge member in position, said pawl comprising a fiat body portion extending along the end of said clamp bar, and looplike pawl ends formed integral with said body portion and terminating in points or tongues adapted to automatically engage in the serrations on said wedge.

5. A rail clamp comprising in combination a Clamp bar having one end formed to engage a Clamp chock positioned between the end of the bar and a rail, and having its other end formed to engage a clamping wedge, a wedge adapted to be positioned between a rail and the end of the clamp bar, the side of said wedge adapted to be positioned next to the end of said clamp bar being provided with a plurality of serrations, and a resilient pawl mounted on said Clamp bar and adapted to be engaged in said serrations to lock said wedge in position, said pawl being formed from resilient metal and having a 'Hat portion engaging said Clamp bar, and the ends of said pawl member being bent so as to Jform loop-like pawl ends terminating in points or tongues adapted to automatically engage in the serrations on said wedge.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand.

CABRGLL BURTON.

fil.) 

